This week I am joined by the enigmatic Christoven Tan. Christoven is a champion of new music for viola and in recent years, he has been pushing the possibilities and boundaries of viola playing. Apart from music, he is a practitioner of multipl

YPAW 62: Mervin Beng - Objectivity vs Subjectivity in Music Review, Origin of Resound Collective, Breaking Grounds in Concert Presentation with Technology and The Idea behind Music Patronage

Sep 29th, 2021 56m 2s

This week I am joined by Mervin Beng, Chairman of Resound Collective, an arts charity organization that promotes chamber music in all its glory. Mervin wears many hats, apart from his role with Resound Collective, he is a music reviewer with Th

YPAW 61: Kevin Loh - "There is more to life than music", The Importance of Family Support, Performing in a Refugee Camp, Fortunate to have music as a career, Identifying one's motivation

Sep 22nd, 2021 1h 34m

I am back after a 3-week hiatus with superstar guitarist, Kevin Loh. Kevin was spotted at the age of 12 by the Yehudi Menuhin School in the UK through his YouTube channel which he still keeps up to date till this day with over 300 videos and ov

YPAW 60: Jonathan Shin - People-Centric Approach to Music and Life, Piano and The Cane, Tips on Improvisation, 200 Years of Singapore History in The 1819 Suite, Approach to Mentorship

Aug 25th, 2021 1h 14m

This week I am joined by Jonathan Shin, pianist, composer, hardcore bookworm and a fantastic guest!In this episode, Jonathan and I spoke about:1. Pursuing his doctoral studies remotely2. Developing his people-centric approach to music and life

YPAW 59: My Motivation Struggles - Lack of Motivation, Detaching my views from my Identity, Defining my personal values, Rethinking how to live a value driven life

Aug 18th, 2021 19m 1s

This episode is a riff on the ups and downs that I have felt in the last few months. About six months ago, my motivation was at an all time low. Practice has become labourious and requires large amount of effort. But it was rather helpful to ha

YPAW 58: Lau Wen Rong - Love for Trumpet, Hating Classical Music, Impact of being in a Youth Orchestra, Coping with Self-Imposed Pressure, Perfection VS Excellence, Staying in the Present

Aug 11th, 2021 1h 16m

This week I am joined by Lau Wen Rong, Wen Rong is a prize winner in multiple competitions and is currently part of the trumpet section in the Singapore Symphony Orchestra. Apart from his busy performance schedule and his ability to rise up aga

YPAW 57: Benjamin Yeo (Part 2) - Development of Intangible Qualities from Music, The Importance of Youth Development Programmes, Finding his Artistic Identity and Creative Process, Passion for Teaching

Aug 4th, 2021 1h 8m

This week we pick up from where we left off from my conversation with Benjamin Yeo. Benji is an avid contributor to multiple facets of the local music and band scene taking on roles as an educator, composer, conductor.In this second part of a 2

YPAW 56: Benjamin Yeo - Learning about Thai Culture & Language, Challenges Faced in Music Education and Performance Arts, Finding His Tribe, Inspiration from Mineral Water

Jul 28th, 2021 1h 6m

This week I am joined by perhaps the most prolific contributor to the Singapore Wind Band Repertory, Benjamin Yeo. Benji is an avid contributor to multiple facets of the local music and band scene taking on roles as an educator, composer, condu

YPAW 55: Andy Sim (Part 2) - Building resilience, The Heart and Brain relationship, Deep-Light-Paced Breathing, Fight and Flight

Jul 22nd, 2021 45m 52s

Welcome back to this part 2 of my conversation with Dr. Andy Sim we spoke about:A quote that has significant meaning to himBuilding resilienceAddressing the fear of failureThe Heart and Brain relationshipANTS vs APESFight and Flight responseThe

YPAW 54: Andy Sim - Music to Psychology, Navigating Stress, Contributors to Burnout, Why we fall out of love with what we love in the process of pursuing it

Jul 14th, 2021 51m 31s

This week, I sat down and spoke to conductor turned psychologist, Dr. Andy Sim. A practitioner of the HeartMath System. We talked about his career in music and how it eventually transformed into psychology.Navigating stressHow did stress come a

YPAW 53: Ron Tan - Restoring Dignity, Practicing Music 80% Deaf, Responding to Negativity, Seeking Long Term Happiness

Jul 7th, 2021 1h 18m

This week's episode, I'm joined by Ron Tan, the founder of the Inclusive Arts Movement, an organization that aims to inspire and promote equality between the differently & generally-abled through the performing arts. Ron himself is a self taugh

YPAW 52: Adrian Chiang (Part 2)

Jun 30th, 2021 53m 55s

Continuing from the previous episode, in this second part of the conversation with Adrian, we spoke about:His decision to take on leadership positions with BDAS and NICA, the difference these organizations seek to create.The launch of the Singa

YPAW 51: Adrian Chiang (Part 1)

Jun 23rd, 2021 54m 24s

I should have had this guest on way earlier but I finally set it up and its with Adrian Chiang. If there is ever a Singapore Band Director’s Hall of Fame, he would definitely be in it. Adrian is a well-known figure in the Singapore Music scene

YPAW 50: Dawn Wong

Jun 16th, 2021 1h 23m

This week on YPAW, I am joined by Jazz songstress, Dawn Wong. Dawn is no stranger to the spotlight, appearing on prime-time television as a participant of Project Superstar 2. Since then she was continued to take her career on an upward traject

YPAW 49: The Freelancer's Workshop

May 28th, 2021 40m 14s

I have recently enrolled myself in a Freelancer's Workshop, a part of a series under the Akimbo Workshops. I have found this course to be extremely helpful in allowing me to distill my thoughts regarding my work and redefining what freelance wo

YPAW 48: Benjamin Thia

May 19th, 2021 1h 8m

This week on YPAW, I am joined by Benjamin Thia, rugby fanatic, drummer, teacher, percussion repair technician, custom drum maker. I have known Ben for a number of years but never had the chance to speak to him about his career developments ove

YPAW 47: Loh Jun Hong

May 12th, 2021 1h 23m

This week, I am joined by violin extraordinaire Loh Jun Hong. Jun Hong is the co-founder of More than Music, More than Music is a concert series that aims to revolutionize the classical music concert experience by bringing both the music and th

YPAW 46: Lee JinJun (Part 2)

May 5th, 2021 1h

Welcome back to the second part of my conversation with Jinjun, in this episode, we picked up where we left off regarding some of his thoughts about the Singapore Youth Festival Arts Presentation. We spoke about an alternative to the current fe

YPAW 45: Lee JinJun

Apr 28th, 2021 1h 3m

This week on You Play A What? I'm joined by fellow Liverpool supporter, Lee JinJun. JinJun is current a teacher in School of the Arts and is well-known name in the Singapore Band scene, having composed the set piece ‘festival on earth and Party

YPAW 44: Useful Feedback

Apr 21st, 2021 11m 51s

What is your relationship with offering and receiving feedback? Do you enjoy the process of it? Some questions for all of us to think about regarding feedback:What kind of feedback are you looking for from this community?What kind of feedback a

YPAW 43: Placebo VS Nocebo

Apr 14th, 2021 28m 34s

On this episode we speak about the relationship between the mind and the body. The effects of Placebo and Nocebo and how it affects our ability to get into peak performance mode.Does chicken essence make you feel more alert and energetic for yo

YPAW 42: Athletes VS Nerds

Apr 7th, 2021 20m 18s

Apologies on the delay this week, but there is going to be an episode!!From last week's episode with @cokohnut where we spoke briefly about career burnout, made me think about "serious" hobbies or a side hustle and how it can help us with our p

YPAW 41: Koh Min Hui

Mar 31st, 2021 1h 9m

In this episode of YPAW I spoke with Singapore Chinese Orchestra's 阮 (Ruan) musician, Koh Min Hui. One would argue that Min Hui's career trajectory is as smooth as it can be, winning her job with the orchestra at the age of 21, straight out of

YPAW 40: Singapore Youth Festival Arts Presentation

Mar 24th, 2021 35m 6s

It is the event that keeps my job relevant, the Singapore Youth Festival Arts Presentation just around the corner, I have decided to dedicate this episode of YPAW to all my students who are participating in SYF AP 2021. Due to the pandemic, the

YPAW 39: Amos Chiya

Mar 17th, 2021 1h 24m

My guest today is indeed the man that puts on his pink uniform every morning and delivers your favourite bubbletea or McGriddles. Yes, it’s the Famous Amos, the man himself, Amos Chiya (probably enough food items for now).Prior to his return to